Listen to My Voice
by quicksiluers
Summary: "Joe...you need to come back," she whispered, her own heart racing, "Focus on my voice...come back from where you are, don't let it take over you." K and Ana are out looking for supplies when K hears something that brings him back to the past.


Being on the run was somewhat surreal for K.

His soul purpose, the reason for his creation, was to take out replicants who were on the run. Replicants who were outdated. Off their baseline. Who were built during a time when they couldn't be as controlled as they are now.

Sometimes, his mind would wander back to the farm he found Morton Sapper on. It was the starting point of everything changing for him.

" _How's it feel...killing your own kind?_

" _And you new models...are happy scrapping the shit..._ _ **because you've never see a miracle."**_

A miracle. K turned his gaze to the young woman a few feet away from him. Ana's back was to him, inspecting another room for any supplies that could be used.

They had made it to what used to be considered the "Midwest" of America. Deckard said it mostly empty, places to hide would be easier to find. The downside was that supplies would be lacking. Many of the people who hadn't made it off world found themselves drawn towards the bustling cities. Houses, small towns, abandoned in the rush to find work, to escape this dying world.

It was quiet out here. Too quiet at times for him. His body always seemed to be tense, something Ana would tease him about from time to time. A small smile, a light shove. There was an awkwardness between them, but it was getting better. The situation was tricky.

"There's nothing here either Joe," Ana sighed, her hands resting on her hips, "it seems like this whole building is barren."

"Hopefully Deckard had better luck in some of the buildings across town," he replied, his gaze flicking down the hallway, "we should be heading back."

Nodding, she followed him as they walked down the hall. Finding supplies was getting harder and harder with each town they went through. Their destination, New York, was still days away. Even then, K didn't know what to expect. He had heard mention of the east coast city from time to time, Joshi would frown deeply if she spoke about it, but nothing else. Deckard seemed to think it was a good place to go, though he hadn't elaborated why.

As the two made their way down the stairs, a low buzzing noise caught his attention. He paused, head turning to a hallway on his right. It was faint, but it sounded familiar. It hadn't been there when they entered the building.

"Joe?" Ana asked, looking up at him from a few steps below, "Is everything alright?"

He blinked, snapped out of his thoughts, and looked down at her. The buzzing lingered in the back of his mind, the sound ringing in his ears. It was familiar.

"I'm going to check down this hall real quick," he replied, "I thought I heard something."

Ana's eyebrows furrowed, confused, but she nodded. He turned from her again and began down the hall. He could feel her eye's on his back and could picture the concern on her face. She always worried about him, though K was still trying to understand why. Both her and Deckard were the same. Looking out for him, taking care of him. Asking for his opinion on matters. It created a warm feeling within him. With them, he would be safe. He could be more than what he was made for. The concept was strange but K was open to it. It was a similar feeling he had with Joi. He couldn't protect her, the snap of her emulator echoing in his head from time to time. He would protect them though.

As he walked down, the buzzing became louder. He could feel his shoulders tensing, his hands clenching. Everything around him began to fade but that sound. Taking a slow step into a room, he froze.

There were no lights, but the walls were white. A bench sat in the middle, a camera with a cracked lens built into the wall. The noise was unbearable now, invading, and for a moment he felt like he couldn't breathe.

" _A blood black nothingness began to spin."_

" _ **Began to spin."**_

" _Do they keep you in a cell?"_

" _ **Cells."**_

" _When you're not performing your duties do they keep you in a little box?"_

The ringing washed over him, his breathing coming is small gasps, "Cells…"

* * *

Ana bite her lip, watching as Joe walked further and further down the hall. Something wasn't right about this. Her arms crossed over her chest, the bad feeling continuing to gnaw at her. Joe's body language seemed tense, which indicated to her that whatever he heard made him uncomfortable. He was still like that from time to time with her and her father, but he would quickly relax after a moment.

Not now though. He was getting harder to see, the lack of light in the hallway allowing him to disappear into the darkness. What had he heard that she hadn't?

Everything was so different from what she imagined when she left her bubble. The way the snow felt, the smells in the area, the environments around her. Making memories of things she faintly remembered had sustained her, but actually being out in the world again...it was beyond what she remembered. So much had happened to her in a short time, her father coming to her, actually hugging him. Feeling the tears of joy that ran down her cheeks as she gripped his shirt, breathed in his scent. No memory of her's could match the pure joy she had felt in that moment.

They were like a makeshift family, her, Deckard, and Joe. Joe wasn't sure of the concept, Ana could see that it still confused him at times, but he seemed happier. The last time she had saw him, her heart broke for him. The memory that seemed to torture him, to cause him such confusion, was her own. She had placed it there but did not expect to ever see it again in someone else's mind. They were getting better, but times between the two of them could still be awkward. She didn't know what to say to him, should she even bring it up?

Ana loved him though. He was part of their family. He was still so young in his life and they could learn from one another. She would protect him, help him, like he did with her.

The lack of movement in the hallway started to worry Ana. She dug through her jacket, pulling out a small light that she had. Slowly, with careful steps, she walked down the hall.

"Joe?" she called, "Did you find something?"

Silence hung in the air. The hair of her arms stood, her mind screaming at her to stop. But she couldn't leave Joe behind. She had to see him, to make sure he was safe. Swallowing her fear, Ana continued down the hall. As she walked, a faint buzzing reached her ears.

Was that what Joe had heard?

The light in her hand was faint but she couldn't mistake the reflection of Joe's coat. Her shoulders sagged, a sigh escaping her.

"Joe," she said, "you scared me, is everything alright?"

The faint buzzing was the only response. Joe was still, not turning to her at her question. His hands were clenched. Ana waited, clipping the light to her jacket, and slowly reached out to him.

"Joe…?"

"Within cells interlinked."

It was faint, almost a whisper, but it caused Ana to freeze. Her hand lingered over his shoulder, seconds away from touching him. Her heart began to race.

Carefully, she stepped into the room and walked around him until she was in front of Joe. He was staring straight ahead, his eyes glazed over, his expression vacant.

"Within cells interlinked."

Joe had mentioned the test he would have to take in passing one time. It wasn't something he mentioned often. It had something to do with testing a replicant after a mission, repeating phrases to check their "baseline". Beyond that, she didn't know much.

' _Why was it affecting him now?'_

She looked around the room, taking in the white dirty walls, the bench. There was nothing about this room that stood out to her. Her gaze fell on the camera that was built into the wall across from them. The faint buzzing came to her again. The buzzing wasn't faint to Joe.

Her mind raced, trying to think of a solution. She needed to get him away from here, away from that sound that was overpowering him. But she didn't know how he would react if she tried to move him, even touch him, in this state. Would he attack? Would he stay the way he was? There were too many variables, too many things that could go wrong. She couldn't leave him here though, trapped liked this for who knew how long.

Carefully, she turned back to the taller man. Her hands rested on both sides of his face, gently bringing his vacant gaze down to her. Her fingers covered his ears.

"Joe...you need to come back," she whispered, her own heart racing, "Focus on my voice...come back from where you are, don't let it take over you."

His lips twitched, his brows moved, but there were no other signs from him. "Dreadfully...distinct…" he whispered.

"Don't think about that, don't let it attack you," she pressed, her hands gripping his face tighter, "Think about where you are now, with me and my father, with where we are going. Think of Max, he'd miss you so much. Who would he play with? Listen to my voice, follow it back."

Desperation came over her as no response came from him. She could feel the slight tremors in her arms, her eyes searching for anything from Joe. She let one of her hands find it's way to the back of his head and she slightly pushed it down, allowing their foreheads to touch.

"Please come back."

* * *

" _Do they teach you to feel finger to finger?"_

" _ **Interlinked."**_

" _Do you long for having your heart interlinked?_

" _ **Interlinked."**_

" _Do you feel that there's a part of of you missing?"_

" _ **Inter-"**_

"Joe...you need to come back…"

What a soft voice. It was faint, it seemed so far away. There was something familiar about it.

" _Have they let you feel heartbre-"_

"Focus on my voice...come back from where yo-"

" _Do you have a heart?"_

" _ **Within."**_

" _Do you think you could find out all the answers to al-"_

There's pressure on his head, warm and inviting. As if someone is holding him like he was precious. The buzzing faded away slightly. His head feels like it's pounding, as if someone was banging on his skull.

"Think about where you are now," the sweet voice said, not as faint as it once was, "with me and my father, where we are going."

Father? Did he know a father? A pair of tired, but amused, eyes flashed before him. They're familiar. A name was forming on the tip of his tongue, but he can't place it.

" _ **Within cells interlinked."**_

" _Why don't you say that thr-"_

"Listen to my voice," the sweet voice pleaded, a desperation in it, "follow it back."

There was so much going on, too many voices in his head. He wanted it all to go away, to be quiet so he could just think for a moment, just one moment. He was so tired, it always made him so tired.

Warmth flowed from his forehead, a soothing sensation. The buzzing had stopped, the automated voice is gone. He's standing in a white room, a contrasting figure against the pure surroundings he found himself in. Someone's hand is in his hair, a warm inviting hand, and he sighed into it. His forehead is against someone, though he can't see who. It's hard to keep his eyes open, to focus on what was happening.

"Please come back."

They blink, his eyelids sluggish, and he slowly opens them again.

The white is there, but it's not as stark as it once was. His eyes focus on the eyes staring up at him, full of concern. He blinks again, trying to understand. What had happened?

Ana's smile is watery, a small laugh escaping her, "I knew you'd come back."

Come back? Where had he gone? His eyes drift from her's and takes in the dimly lit room. He had gone to explore a noise…

The buzzing was gone.

Ana's hand slid from his neck to his arm, "Let's get out of this place, ok? Fresh air will help."

He looked around slightly before nodding his head, wincing at the pain that lingered. Her hand was firm on his arm as she put it around her shoulders. They're walking, though it feels like a blur to him. This feeling was familiar to him. It was uncommon, which made it stand out in his memory.

The first time that he did a baseline test, Joshi behind the walls watching, he felt like his head was going to explode. He hadn't let it show, the baseline was passed easily. Joshi was impressed, provided him with his badge and gun, and brought him to where he would stay. The apartment had some furniture, she said he could buy more when he was paid. The moment she left, he crumpled into the wall, digging his hands into his hair. The voice still ringing in his ears, the questions asked over and over, he had never experienced it before. He never did again until...until everything changed.

"Joe."

His head snapped up, had he closed his eyes?, and his gaze found Ana's. She was looking at him, as if to ask a question, but holding back. He could see that she was worried. Looking around , he realized that they had made it down the rest of the stairs and towards the entrance of the building.

"We're almost to the front door, but I need you to focus. You're heavier than you look," her voice was teasing, but he knew it was a nervous trait of her's.

Nodding, he tried to smile, "Sorry...I'll stay focused."

The cool air almost snapped K from his daze. It was refreshing compared to the stifled air they had lingered in so long. Ana walked them to the side of the building and gently sat K against the wall.

"I'm going to call father and have him bring the spinner to us," she explained, pulling out the radio device, "it'll be easier than trying to walk."

Nodding slightly, he watched her walk a few feet from him. Her back was to him, hand combing through her short hair.

His mind was clearing now, the pain rescinding. How silly he must have looked, almost like a rag doll sitting against this wall. Rendered useless from a sound that had triggered him. What help was he to anyone if he was so easily taken out?

Ana sat down next to him, her shoulder brushing his, "He shouldn't be long," she advised, placing the device back in her jacket, "when he hadn't heard from us at the check in time, he started to make his way over."

"I'm sorry," he mumbled, "I'm sure that worried him."

He felt her turn, Ana facing him, and he kept his gaze forward.

"It's not your fault Joe, you didn't know that was going to happen to you."

His chin rested on his chest, looking over his hands that sat on his lap, "I should have been more alert to it," he countered, "should have recognized what could have happened."

"You didn't know," she broke in, "it's alright, you'll know n-"

"'It's alright'?", he snapped, turning to face her, "How is it 'alright'? What...what if that had happened when we were being attacked, or som-"

"But," she stopped him, her gaze hard, brows furrowed, "we weren't. And we knew we weren't. It's better to experience this now so if something like it does happen at another time...we're ready."

They stared at each other, K not blinking. Searching her face, trying to find some anger towards him. For putting her in danger as he stood frozen. But there was nothing like that to be found in the smaller woman's face. It was frustration, understanding, that all stemmed from worry.

Her hand grasped his, squeezing it, "Joe...do you want to talk about what that was?"

"It…," he stopped, thinking of how he would explain it. The process was easy enough, but the effect was something else. Ana squeezed his hand again, a small smile on her face, and he continued, "It's called a baseline test. It's what they used for...replicant's like myself."

"A blade runner?" she asked.

He nodded, "They wanted to check to make sure that our...work wasn't affecting us after it was finished. Since I was retiring my own kind, just models before me. It was simple, but also aggressive in a way. Timing was key, reactions were measured. It was like...a test on your psyche, to see if there had been an impact on you."

"And the buzzing...triggered that in you?" she asked, tilting her head.

"The setup of that room…was very much like the setup they had at LAPD."

"So a combination of that noise and that room must have brought you back there, and since it was to you…"  
"I knew the kinds of things it would be asking."

Her thumb skimmed the top of his hand gently, "I'm sorry you had to experience that."

"You don't…," he stammered, shaking his head, "It's not something you need to apologize for."

Her head hung, hair covering her face, and K wasn't sure what to say. What else could he say? It wasn't her burden to bare and yet she cared enough to be...sad for him? Upset?

"Memories can be tricky things," she sighed, her voice quiet, "they can bring us such joy or sadness. They can bring back things we'd rather not think about again. I always...like to try and make happy memories for people."

She had that watery smile again as she looked at him, "Though I did give you a memory that only brought you confusion. And added to your burden."

"Ana…," he whispered, shaking his head, "Don't think like that. The memory...may have not been mine, but it did give me something. It gave me a purpose, it helped me...realize that I could be...more.

"That memory is the only reason why I found you...why I found Deckard. And in the middle of that...there was a failed baseline test, the last I ever took. Because the memory made me think I was beyond just what I was made for."

That sat there in silence, K's other hand going over Ana's. She was watching him, before a small laugh cracked through her lips.

A hint of a smile tugged on his lips, "What's so funny?"

"You…," she sniffled, shaking her head, "That's the first time I didn't have to correct you on my name."

"Oh."

Light laughter echoed through the alleyway when Deckard found the two of them. He stayed out of sight, just for a moment, watching the two of them. His daughter was animated, chatting about something he couldn't hear, but her smile was all he needed. Joe's expression was solemn, as it usually was, but there was a hint of a smile on his face. He was relaxed, open to what she was saying.

Deckard smiled for a moment. Having found his child, that he believed he would never see, had brought something back to his life. And this young man, replicant or not, had been the driving force to that.

Max jumped out of the spinner and raced towards the two of them, jumping into the Joe's chest before he could react. For a brief moment, his face lite up, Ana breaking out into laughter before trying to pull the dog off him.

Their lives wouldn't be easy, on the run like they were. But this could be enough, for all of them.


End file.
